Gunner Bailey Posted 23 July , 2018 Share Posted 23 July , 2018 Have just heard that the M20 at Maidstone will be closed both ways from the 27th to the 30th July for a bridge to be removed as part of the upgrade to a 'smart' motorway. Junctions 3 -5 affected. So if you are heading to Europe this weekend expect a diversion or delays or both getting the the tunnel or the ferries.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gareth Davies Posted 23 July , 2018 Share Posted 23 July , 2018 It was closed on Friday last and the diversion route, the A20, has roadworks and temporary traffic lights. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner Bailey Posted 23 July , 2018 Author Share Posted 23 July , 2018 Yes but this is a 3 day 24 hours a day both ways closure so a bit bigger over the 2nd holiday weekend. Could be lots of people affected. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imaginatian Posted 24 July , 2018 Share Posted 24 July , 2018 The closure is from Junction 4 to Junction 6, from 22:00 on Friday 27th to 06:00 Monday 30th. It will cause local chaos as there's only been a couple of weeks notice. Just hope there are no problems on the M2 that weekend. Any delays in re-opening the motorway on Monday, even if only by an hour, will cause big jams. While nothing has been announced I expect many more weekend closures over the next 18 months. I commute the whole length of the M20 and back each day and there are two sections of roadworks coastbound totalling around 10 miles, and 3 coming back, adding up to about 15 miles. Over 20% of my return journey is through these roadworks. There are narrow lanes around Maidstone and down to just two lanes around Ashford, all with 50 mph speed limits with Average Speed cameras. Don't automatically follow the vehicle in front at the same speed as too many foreign drivers, including lorries, ignore the speed limits, whether deliberately or not. Around Maidstone the work is to convert the road into a "Smart Motorway". It doesn't really need this, it would work if most drivers were smarter. At Ashford they are building a new junction, 10A, to alleviate off-motorway congestion around the existing junction 10. There is a hospital near this junction and A&E patients in ambulances are regularly delayed in getting there. There is also some work west of Ashford but there's no information on what this is for, although I suspect it's for putting in facilities for Operation Stack, where this road becomes a lorry park when there's problems with the ferries or Eurotunnel. I suspect they're rushing this work in as preparation for Brexit, when major delays are predicted for crossing the channel. Don't plan a battlefield tour for March / April 2019! My advice is to allow extra time for the journey, especially if travelling coastbound late afternoon or early evening, as the roadworks around Maidstone have made the regular jam that is rush-hour even worse. Fortunately I go coastbound in the mornings so usually observe the bigger flow of traffic going the other way. If travelling late at night, or indeed overnight, then be aware that there are regular closures on some sections most nights. Check Google Maps or Traffic England before setting out. Note that travelling via the M2/A2 is not always a better option as there are overnight closures now and then on this route as well. Finally DO NOT use the services at Junction 11 (aka Stop 24) for fuel. You will be ripped off. Fuel was almost 20 pence a litre more expensive than elsewhere the last time I visited - which wasn't for fuel. Filling my car up would cost over £12 more than visiting other stations with a few miles. Just off the motorway there are supermarkets near Junctions 4, 5, 9 and 13 with cheaper fuel or there are places in Dover with reasonable prices. The only downside is that many of the petrol stations attached to the supermarkets are no longer open overnight, closing as early as 22:30 week nights and earlier at weekends. Regards, Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner Bailey Posted 24 July , 2018 Author Share Posted 24 July , 2018 May play havoc with the War & Peace traffic this weekend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner Bailey Posted 25 July , 2018 Author Share Posted 25 July , 2018 Update! Driving around Ashford this evening electronic signs were saying the work scheduled for the 27th to 30 July has been cancelled. Someone has perhaps realised this is the first big holiday weekend getaway and mixed with the War & Peace traffic it was sensible to cancel it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imaginatian Posted 25 July , 2018 Share Posted 25 July , 2018 When I drove home this evening along the M20 the temporary roadside electronic signs were still showing a closure this weekend. I'll check tomorrow. Of course the signs are probably managed by someone else and, as they say, the left hand doesn't know what the right hand does. I'm not sure the closure would have affected War and Peace too much as for the Hop Farm at Paddock Wood you exit at Junction 2 or Junction 4 if coming from anywhere but deepest Kent. If War and Peace was still at the old Folkestone Racecourse then it would be a different matter! The M20 is closed overnight between Junction 7 and 6 westbound for road repairs. These closures have one benefit - they stop me from working too late and leaving early enough to beat the cones! If it isn't closed this weekend it's only putting it off for another time - probably the August bank holiday weekend! I expect there to be many weekend closures over the next 18 months. It just needs there to be something that affects traffic through the Tunnel or on the ferries enough to require Operation Stack and Kent will become a car park again. It was chaos London bound around 10:00 this morning as a car had gone into the back of a lorry in the middle land just before Junction 3. It was stationary back to Junction 4 and crawling back to 5. As there's currently no hard shoulder a couple of ambulances were stuck in the traffic along with a Highways Agency vehicle. Fortunately I was going the other way. Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted 25 August , 2018 Share Posted 25 August , 2018 thanks to Ian for the information this week. presumably works stopped for the bank holiday. we left Melksham at 11.30 last night and arrived in Bonnieres at 7.00 this morning. stopped at Maidstone services for 30 mins. M3 and M25/M26 no hold ups the M20 had J3 narrow lanes for a mile or two and there were 50mph speed limits down around J10. no hold ups, booked in on the 5.20 but took the option of 4.20 no extra charge, around the top from Calais past st Omer and a clear run down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted 14 September , 2018 Share Posted 14 September , 2018 getting back this week was also plain sailing no hold ups even though we were in a C3 hire car approx 1400cc. from Traffic England web site ,there are a few maps at the bottom of the page. https://highwaysengland.co.uk/projects/m20-junctions-3-to-5-smart-motorway/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now